Out Of The House

Food, Fun, and my Favorite Ketchup

May 23, 2016 by MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan Leave a Comment

Realization: We only have a little over two weeks left of summer vacation.

What?! The weeks seem to have gone by so quickly! Before you know it, I’ll be back to my usual morning routine of packing baon.

Heinz — Chicken nuggets + ketchup. Yes, you’ll definitely see that in my son’s lunch box.

I know that a lot of moms, especially those with younger kids, are gearing up for another school year of bento baon fun. I, personally, don’t do the whole bento lunch box thing because my kiddo is big already. He prefers to have simple, straightforward packed meals. Still, I love learning new techniques and designs, coz you’ll never know when these may come in handy!

I’ve attended bento classes before, and last month I was given the chance to sit in at another one. This time, it was a class by Kat Maderazo of Bento by Kat, in partnership with Heinz, my all-time favorite ketchup brand! Trivia: Kat is a Japanese-certified bento box maker. Galing, right?

Before I show you guys what we made at the event, I think that I need to tell you about my relationship with ketchup. Ketchup will always and forever be my condiment of choice.

Ever since I was little, I have been putting ketchup on my food, whenever possible. Fries, burgers, fried chicken, and even adobo would not be the same for me without my little dish of ketchup on the side for dipping. It’s a love affair like no other.

Okay, now I’m ready to talk bento.

Friends, I present to you, my Kelly Ketchup.

Super fun afternoon with @heinzphilippines and @bentobykat ? Fun fact: I am a ketchup addict, and I super duper absolutely love Heinz. I put it in everything from fried fish to adobo. I also like to slather ketchup on sunny side up eggs, then dip pandesal in it. So good, but a little weird for some. I have a quirky friend, though, who puts ketchup on her pancakes. Yun ang weird, diba??? ??? #yourfooddeservesbetter #heinzph

A photo posted by MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan (@mrspcuyugan) on Apr 27, 2016 at 1:41am PDT

It only takes a few easy steps to make this cute baon box. Start by getting some cooked rice and smothering it in ketchup. My Kelly Ketchup looks a little pale, so I think I could have added a little more Heinz.

Next, shape the rice into body parts. Use cling wrap, a plastic bag or plastic gloves when you mold the rice to keep the food and your hands clean. Then, assemble inside your lunchbox. Kat taught us to use bits of spaghetti to connect the body parts to one another so that they won’t come apart.

Once the body is formed, make a dress for Kelly using thin sheets of scrambled eggs. Then, add face and hair details using nori and cheese.Finally, use more ketchup to decorate the dress so that it’s extra pretty. Don’t forget to give her shoes, too!

Add some fillers like chicken nuggets, veggies and fruits, and you are done. Ta-da! The finished product. Mine may not be as cute as the other moms’ bento boxes, but I love it all the same.

I love activities that allow me to have more fun in the kitchen, specially since I’m always in the kitchen. I totally agree with the Heinz team that meal time so important in most Filipino homes. It brings the family together, and gives homecooks like me an opportunity to share love through food.

Food is my love language, and, as they said at the event, #YourFoodDeservesBetter. Heinz makes every dish extra special. I can’t wait to play with the amazing Heinz products I took home from the event. Especially the ketchup. Ketchup is love.

Confessions of an Occasional Germophobe

April 21, 2016 by MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan 2 Comments

I don’t like dirty things. Sure, I can be messy, but messy doesn’t necessarily mean dirty. Just because things look out of place or cluttered in a space doesn’t mean they aren’t clean. Does that even make sense to you? Because it does to me.

The truth is that I constantly worry about people around me getting sick because of germs. This is, most likely, the effect of having lived with a doctor for 32 years. Because of this, I have a set of cleanliness-related rules that I try my best to enforce at home.

First, I make sure to choose antibacterial soaps for our laundry, dish washing, and baths. We have been loyal Safeguard users for many years.

mrspcuyugan — Not just for bath time – Our dishwashing and laundry soaps both have Safeguard in them.

Also, I absolutely will not allow anyone to sit or lie down on their bed wearing clothes that were worn outside. I just think it’s gross that MrC’s office shirt, for example, which comes into contact with a tricycle seat, a van seat, his office chair, various walls, tables and other surfaces, and even other people throughout the day, will come into contact with my pillow, blanket and bed sheet.

When people come visit our home and sit on the bed wearing clothes they’ve worn outside, I change the sheets before we go to bed. I’m not kidding.

The boys and I do not walk around the house in shoes. We use our house slippers when we are home. We also ask people to remove their shoes and slippers before going up to the second floor of our home. When upstairs, the boys and I go barefoot, too.

We make hand washing a must before meals. I even have bottles of alcohol and hand sanitizer in our living, dining, and bedrooms just in case. I have a slight alcohol-obsession (rubbing, not drinking,) and I usually clean my hands with the stuff in between tasks, when hand washing is not possible.

The list goes on, and on, and on. I could bore you to tears just talking about this.

So where is this conversation going, you may be wondering?

Well, recently, Little MrC and I attended UNICEF and Safeguard’s first Health Watch lecture in celebration of World Health Day. We learned a lot at the session, and a lot of my germy-worries were addressed and validated. It’s good to know that my cleanliness rules are actually good for something.

Intervention should be the priority. Health comes first. I feel like these are the most important lessons we learned that day. Instead of waiting until someone gets sick to do something, we should instead aim to reduce the risk of illness, especially within the home. This can easily be done through proper hand washing with soap.

Here are some simple tips to make sure that you are washing your hands well enough:

Start by wetting your hands well.
Lather well and scrub thoroughly. Don’t forget to scrub in between your fingers, and all the way to your wrists.
Scrub for at least 20 seconds. You should be good to go after two rounds of the Happy Birthday song. Singing out loud is optional.
Rinse well, and make sure that there is no soap left on your hands and wrists.
Dry off using a CLEAN towel. Emphasis on clean. I think you know why.

As a final note, we were taught some first aid basics by a representative from the Philippine Red Cross. I love that my son already learned most of this during a father and son camping session that he and MrC attended. At least I know that if there’s ever the need for emergency response at home, my boys are ready to save me. Lol.

As moms, our family’s health and safety should be on top of our list of priorities. Do you have any tips for keeping your households safe and germ-free?

Moms Take the New Pampers Baby Dry 99.9% Dryness Challenge at Robinsons Place Manila

December 6, 2015 by MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan Leave a Comment

Last November, Moms in Manila had the chance to take the New Pampers Baby Dry 99.9% Dryness Challenge at Robinson’s Place Manila. Those in attendance were given the chance to bet on either Pampers or their diaper of choice, and see which one was truly able to keep babies dry.

First, blue liquid was poured down a tube, straight to the diapers, so you could see how fast each one would absorb the liquid. While other brands struggled to take in the fluid, Pampers was able to absorb it all in no time.

As a mom of a kid with very sensitive skin, I can’t stress enough how important this is. The faster your diaper can absorb baby pee, the less time it spends in contact with their skin, meaning less chances of rashes. So that’s a win for Pampers in my book.

After all the liquid was absorbed, a paper towel was placed over the full diapers, followed by a 5lb weight. It was a win for Pampers again when, after the weight was removed, you could see that the paper towel stayed dry.

Meanwhile, on top of the other diaper lay a stained blue, soaking wet paper towel. What a nightmare it would be if the wet towel was your baby’s precious little behind!

Now obviously my Little MrC is no longer in nappies, so it’s been a while since I’ve had to fret over my choice of diaper. I did ask some friends, though, which brand they preferred, and a lot really said that they go for Pampers. My mommy blogger friend, Frances, is one, and she said she really super loves Pampers Baby Dry.

Kaity, another fellow mommy blogger, says, “Pampers is a trusted brand that’s why I use it for my 2 boys. I love that it doesn’t irritate their skin and keeps them dry for a long time. It doesn’t sag and it doesn’t have himolmol.”

One of my oldest friends, Jan-B, also bets on Pampers for her son, Noah. She says, “I use Pampers for my son because it fits him well enough to give me assurance that there wont be leaks. Pampers also has no weird smell, unlike some brands. I also like Pampers because my child can use it for a longer time compared to other brands.”

I’d most likely pick Pampers, too, if I had a baby. I mean, how could you go wrong with a brand that’s trusted by so many moms, right?

Betting on Pampers gave moms a chance to win great prizes at the Manila event, and today mommies in Cebu are getting to experience this as well. Next week will be CDO’s turn. What a great way to kick off the holidays! 🙂

*All photos used in this post belong to Fuentes Manila.

The New Pampers Baby Dry 99.9% Dryness Challenge is Coming to Visayas and Mindanao!

November 29, 2015 by MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan Leave a Comment

Mommies with babies in diapers, this one’s for you!

Continuing on its journey of firsts with moms and babies all over the country, Pampers, the world’s leading diaper brand, is taking the New Pampers Baby Dry 99.9% Dryness Challenge to Visayas and Mindanao.

Mommies from Cebu, you will have the opportunity to challenge your current diaper at Ayala Center, Cebu on December 6, 2015.

Moms in CDO, your chance to take the 99.9% Dryness Challenge will be on December 15, 2015 at Centrio Mall, Cagayan de Oro City.

To join, moms 18 years old and above, residing in the Philippines, with babies 0-3 years old should simply register online, then bring your current non-Pampers diaper to the event. You could win amazing prizes, like your baby’s first play set, first high chair or first stroller.

The New Pampers Baby Dry 99.9% Dryness Challenge is guaranteed to be fun and exciting for both moms and babies. Mommies can enjoy playing along and winning fun stuff for your little ones, and babies can enjoy a full night’s sleep with 99.9% skin dryness. Actually, I think moms would enjoy that full night’s sleep to, agree? 🙂 🙂 🙂

To find out how you can pre-register to guarantee your slot, visit the Pampers Philippines Facebook page.

Mothers Who Brunch Spooky Edition

October 14, 2015 by MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan 4 Comments

What’s better than taking time off on a Saturday to hang out with friends? Taking time off on a Saturday to hang out with friends while your kid hangs out with their kids. Oh what fun! That was exactly the scene at the Viking Range Showroom in Westgate Alabang at this weekend’s Mothers Who Brunch Spooky Edition.

Mothers Who Brunch — The gang’s all here!

Mish and Sab throw the best brunches, which is why nothing and no one could have stopped me from attending the event. The same goes for Little MrC, who, upon finding out that his buddies Miguel (of Mish) and Sancho (of Sab) would be there, gave one big YES! with matching fist pump.

This Mothers Who Brunch was quite different from the first one I attended (read about the first one here!) I think that having the kids around created such a fun, chaotic vibe, which matched the event’s Halloween theme perfectly.

You could tell right away that it would be an interesting morning when the kids were asked to introduce their moms and share the most fun moment that they spent with us. I was pleasantly surprised when Little MrC said he enjoyed our trip to the strawberry fields in La Trinidad the most. Yay for fun vacations and lasting memories. This is why I choose to spend on trips with the family.

After the introductions, the kids were asked to go up to the second level of the showroom so they could make ice cream with the amazing Engineering for Kids team. I couldn’t see what they were doing, but I could hear a lot of laughing and chatting and shaking. I knew right away that the kiddo had fun when he came downstairs, all smiles, and proudly asked me to taste the ice cream he made. It was actually pretty good!

While the kids were upstairs, the mommies gathered around the couches downstairs for some crafting time with Ants Pocket. We were asked to sew Halloween bags out of felt, and of course I jumped right in. You guys know how much I love anything to do with thread!

I had a really fun time sewing, and the end product was super cute! Plus, I’m really happy to have discovered another fun thing that I can do with felt. The possibilities are endless, from Halloween and Christmas themed loot bags, to party giveaways, treat bags, and personalized gift bags.

Of course, no Mothers Who Brunch event is complete without having our portraits taken. I really love that Mish and Sab thought to add a photo session as one of the activities during the event. I think it’s brilliant because it’s not every day that moms (or at least that I) get dressed up, with makeup and all, and it’s just so great to be able to have a professional capture the moment. And now the kid and I have a couple of nice mom and me photos together.

When you come to Mothers Who Brunch, you come for the food. It’s true. The amazing company is the icing on the cake, but it’s the food, prepared and served with love, that’s the real star of this show. Not only did everything look amazeballs, but from appetizers to desserts, every bite was heavenly.

We also had Cheesy Spinach Soup to start with, Baked Chicken Wings, Truffle Mac & Cheese, and yummy Jam Foods Ribs. I remember telling my friend, Pam, who was seated next to me at the table, that I wish I could eat more coz everything was just so good, but I was already too full to function.

At the end of an insanely enjoyable morning, you get sent home with bags of goodies. Yes, bags. Plural. More than one. I was so happy to receive another Glad goodie bag, and just in time too, because I just ran out of Nonstick Aluminum Foil. I swear, that foil makes life in the kitchen so much easier.

Meanwhile, MrC flashed a winning smile when he saw the Clorox Wipes and the Zin Triple Pepper Blend in my swag bag. I’m also excited about the stash of kale, lemons and oranges from Lemons and Greens that were given to us.

THANK YOU so much, Mish and Sab, for inviting Little MrC and I to this event. We had a really great time. Thank you for bringing us all together, and congratulations on another unforgettable Mothers Who Brunch.

*All photos used in this post are by Jay Santos Photography.

Mothers Who Brunch

September 8, 2015 by MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan 15 Comments

Fact: I love it when other people cook for me.

I think that most moms will agree that it’s so nice when someone prepares a meal for us. Most of us are the executive chefs of our households, and so being able to sit and enjoy a home cooked meal that we didn’t have to make ourselves is just awesome. Right?

I also think that I totally won the lottery when it comes to having friends who cook well. See, I have Mish and Sab in my life. Imagine, Sab once had another friend, Marge, and I over for a wala lang lunch, and she served us no less than a bagoong paella with bagnet!

And then one time, when Mish and I were getting some work done at her house, she had a tray of truffle mac and cheese ready for us for lunch! I feel so spoiled.

I love the fact that these two brilliant cooks decided that it was time to collaborate so that they could share their amazing kitchen delights with other moms. And so Mothers Who Brunch was born.

I wish I could say that the photos I’m using for this post are mine. But I can’t. Because this little genius came to the event with a camera that was super duper lowbatt! Blame it on the crazy summer we had (the event happened in May, I know, so long ago) shuttling back and forth between Alabang and Cainta while my father in law was in town.

So before anything, I wanna credit Gilbert Gutierrez for the photos. Thank goodness Sab and Mish thought to hire a photographer for the event! I think it’s a nice touch, and a great way to make sure that the moms who were there got to really relax and just enjoy without any worries.

Bonus: We all got head shots, too! Yay, I finally have a photo that I can use (that isn’t from my wedding lol) when people ask me to send one.

I arrived pretty early and said my hellos to the moms I already knew. And then the lady standing next to me turned around, and all I could do was stutter and stammer like the true fan girl that I am of Joey of 80breakfasts.com.

Her blog and her column on Yummy Magazine were some of my go-to places for help and advice when I first started learning how to cook! Now we are friends, and I still feel kilig over it.

We started off with a quick tour of the Viking Kitchen showroom. Someday, when I get the chance to build my dream kitchen, I would love to have a Viking range. And fridge. And oven. And microwave. Even a Viking knife.

The whole place was basically every cooking mom’s dream come true, and I was as excited to try the equipment as I was about meeting Joey. Lol, fan girl overload.

Getting into the kitchen with the Mothers Who Brunch moms was so much fun, and everything that Mish and Sab picked for that morning’s menu was amazeballs. I had a little bit of everything, twice!

To be honest, I’m not yet super confident when it comes to my cooking, so I rarely cook for anyone other than family. When Sab and Mish first asked me to share a recipe for the booklet that they were making as part of the giveaways, I was thisclose to backing out. True story.

I decided to woman-up anyway and share my recipe for Banana Swiss Miss Muffins. I’m glad that I did because I’ve gotten positive feedback about it, which was a huge confidence booster.

The recipe booklet (printed by Imagemax Digital Printing) was only one of the many, many, MANY goodies that we got to take home that day. Nothing can compare the the Mothers Who Brunch swag bag. It really felt like Christmas in May.

Inside basket number two were gorgeous coasters from Boqueria Lifestyle Market (who also styled the venue beautifully), gift certificates from Bikram Yoga Alabang, Coco Nail Studio and House of Monogram, yummy stuff for the kitchen from A Vanilla Story, The Vanilla Co and Lucky Merchant Salt, pralines and a cake from Choco La Bella, a beautiful little cactus from Sombra Verde, and Hurraw Chai Spice Lip Balm from Cutieverse. Wow.

Like I said at the beginning of this post, I feel like I won the jackpot with Mish and Sab. And no, I don’t mean that only because they feed me and make me happy.

These two are amazing women that I am proud and honored to call my friends. Through them and Mothers Who Brunch I’ve been able to meet more wonderful moms, and so I can say that they definitely make my life richer.

I can’t wait til the next one!

Cheers, mommas! ??@mommanmanila x @sinfullysabrina x @vikingrangeph #motherswhobrunch

A photo posted by MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan (@mrspcuyugan) on Jun 1, 2015 at 2:03am PDT